Strong Egypt Party to join Friday protests

Abul Fotouh’s Strong Egypt party announced that it would join protest marches to Tahrir Square on Friday. (DNE/ File Photo/ Mohamed Omar)

The Strong Egypt Party (SEP) announced Wednesday night its intention to join the Friday protests, commemorating the 25 January revolution’s second anniversary.

In a press release, the party’s head Abdel Moneim Abul Fottouh stated he will join the party’s march from Al-Istiqama Mosque in Giza to Tahrir Square, following the Friday prayer.

“Bread, freedom, human dignity and social justice,” Abul Fottouh said in a personal tweet Wednesday night, reiterating the basic demands of protesters since taking to the streets two years ago, “our revolution persists until our demands are met.”

SEP outlined these demands as: social justice, fair trial for all those accused of murdering protesters, punishment for all those who helped in disposing of evidence in crimes of murdering the protesters and redress for all those who were killed. The SEP refuses brokering any conciliation with former regime figures. The party also refuses any foreign intervention in Egypt’s internal affairs; be it political intervention such as United States Senator John McCain’s visit to Egypt, or economic intervention such as the loan conditions placed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“We strongly oppose the militarily trying any civilians,” Mohamed Al-Mohandes, SEP spokesperson, said. “Unfortunately, this phenomenon returned to the political scene with high frequency.” Al-Mohandes stated that the reason for this reappearance is the recently enacted constitution, which allows military trials for civilians.

Al-Mohandes stated that the SEP doesn’t intend to remain in Tahrir as a part of the sit-in protest. “We believe achieving revolutionary demands is twofold,” Al-Mohandes said. He mentioned that the first way to achieving the demands is through exercising popular pressure by taking part in protests. The second way, Al-Mohandes stated, is the political one, reflected in taking part in the coming parliamentary elections. He felt that the sit-in has the potential to disrupt the political campaign.

SEP party was launched late October 2012. The party’s main founder, Abul Fotouh, is a former Muslim Brotherhood leader. Abul Fotouh was ousted from the Brotherhood in mid-2011 after announcing he intended to run in the 2012 presidential elections. At the time the Muslim Brotherhood’s policy was to deny their intention to enter a candidate in the presidential race.